Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 Official: Tegra 2 and Honeycomb

Samsung has officially announced the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the company's 10.1-inch dual-core Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet which we've been expecting for the past few weeks. Unlike the original, 7-inch Galaxy Tab, which used Samsung's own single-core Hummingbird processor, the Korean company has looked to NVIDIA's Tegra 2 1GHz dual-core chip for this larger model.

A Google Experience device, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 runs Honeycomb's native interface rather than any sort of TouchWiz UI as on the original model. There's also Full HD 1080p support and an HDMI output, an 8-megapixel autofocus camera that can record Full HD video, and the usual range of HSPA 3G, from 16GB of storage and a microSD card slot.

Exact release dates haven't been confirmed, and nor has pricing, but we've heard separately that Samsung is aiming to beat Motorola to the punch and get the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to the European market before the XOOM. We're also hearing that Vodafone – in the UK at least – may be offering it as an exclusive in April 2011, though the carrier is yet to confirm that.

Press Release:

NVIDIA and Samsung Partner to Deliver the Galaxy Tab 10.1 Honeycomb Tablet

GALAXY Tab's Successor Powered by Tegra 2, Featuring a Dual-Core CPU plus an NVIDIA GeForce GPU That Enable Full Use of Android 3.0

Barcelona — MWC 2011 — Feb. 13, 2011—NVIDIA and Samsung Electronics announced today the Galaxy Tab 10.1, a 10.1-inch screen tablet which uses the NVIDIA® TegraTM 2 mobile super chip to take full advantage of the Android 3.0 (also known as Honeycomb) user interface.

While the previous 7-inch GALAXY Tab introduced the Android tablet space, the new Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet maximizes the entertainment on-the-go experience. It features the Tegra 2 chip's dual-core CPU and GeForce GPU for faster Web browsing, snappier response time and overall better performance.

Galaxy Tab 10.1 utilizes the Tegra 2 chip to power Honeycomb, the first GPU- accelerated user interface designed for tablets and other larger-screen devices.

The new Samsung tablet with Tegra 2 enables consumers to engage in multitasking, surf the web quickly with fast-loading Web pages and Flash-based content, enjoy console- quality gaming and savor HD movies.

"Our first GALAXY Tab successfully defined a new generation of Android tablets," said Hyungmoon Noh, VP of R&D Strategy Group, at Samsung. "We've worked closely with NVIDIA to raise the stakes again. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, with Honeycomb and Tegra 2, provide the optimal entertainment and multimedia experience without compromising mobility Samsung is known for."

"Samsung's latest tablet with the Tegra 2 mobile super chip and Honeycomb is a great example of what we've come to expect from one of the world's most innovative companies," said Michael Rayfield, General Manager of the Mobile business at NVIDIA.

The companies are also partnering to bring a new Android-based super phone with a dual-core CPU to consumers, for never-before-seen experiences.